Cooper Tire looks forward to ‘exciting’ 2010 race season

Friday 26 March 2010

Cooper Tire’s European motorsport season kicks off on Easter weekend when the Cooper Tires British Formula 3 Series begins, with the brand again being sole tyre supplier and title sponsor for the country’s premier single-seater racing championship.

British F3 is one of the world’s most successful championships for aspiring Formula 1 drivers; stars including Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton all raced in the series on their way to the top.

The two most recent champions have leapt straight to F1 – 2008 title winner Jaime Alguersuari now races with the Toro Rosso team while last year’s champion, Daniel Ricciardo, has been appointed official reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso in 2010.

Cooper’s title sponsorship deal has helped to promote the brand across Europe, as the “British” series includes rounds at circuits including the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Hockenheim in Germany.

“Last year was a great season but this year is looking to be even more exciting,” said Julian Baldwin, Managing Director of Cooper Tire Europe. ”Alguersuari and Ricciardo have both proved that British F3 is still the perfect springboard to F1 and we are extremely proud to support the series.”

The championship takes place at nine circuits over 10 weekends throughout the year, finishing at Brands Hatch on 26 September.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Cooper Tire is now the exclusive tyre supplier and title sponsor for the newly-revived Cooper Tires-presented USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda. Like F3 in Britain, USF2000 is the perfect training ground for drivers hoping to progress up the motorsport ladder into IndyCar racing.

Cooper’s racing in the US also includes sports car action, with the company now being title sponsor to the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship (formerly known as IMSA Lites), which acts as a junior championship for the American Le Mans Series.

The 2010 series will begin on 27-28 March on the street circuit of St. Petersburg, Florida, in support of the second round of the IZOD IndyCar Series.